Credit: Peter Aaron/OTTO

Ellis Island

At Ellis Island, BBB has made a cultural and historical symbol of American immigration accessible to generations of visitors.

For more than two decades, BBB has provided planning, preservation, and design services at the designated national monument and World Heritage site, Ellis Island. BBB's involvement began with the creation of a Concept Master Plan for the entire island, and subsequently, a Development Concept Plan and a comprehensive Historic Structures Report. Most notably, BBB has worked on the programming, restoration, renovation, and adaptive reuse of the main building into the Ellis Island Immigration Museum, which tells the story of the 12 million immigrants who passed through Ellis Island on their way to a new life in America. The project required the sensitive integration of modern technology and systems into a heavily deteriorated National Register structure, and the creation of spaces for a diverse range of uses, including public gathering space, exhibition space, assembly space, back-of-house offices, a library, and numerous visitor amenities. Subsequently, BBB has restored the Powerhouse, the Kitchen & Laundry Building, the Bakery & Carpentry Building, and the Hospital Outbuilding, and stabilized the Baggage and Dormitory building.

 

Client

Save Ellis Island, Inc.; Statue of Liberty Ellis Island Foundation; National Park Service

Location

New York Harbor, NY

Size

395,000 SF (multiple projects); 250,000 SF (Museum)

Completed

1980 - Ongoing (multiple projects); 1990 (Museum)

People

FAIA, LEED AP
Partner, Director of Historic Preservation
AIA
Partner
Senior Associate
AIA, LEED AP
Senior Associate, Architect
AIA, LEED AP
Senior Associate, Architect
AIA
Associate, Architect